One More Song
by jgwatson
Summary: The mission's about to begin! *CHAPTER 10 FINALLY UP!*
1. Chapter 1

~  These are Paramount's characters, not mine.  If I did own them, you'd be seeing this instead of reading it!

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            "Mind if I sit here?"

            The shy lieutenant looked up from her book to see Commander Tucker standing in front of her.  Her heart skipped a beat.  She had dreamed of this moment from the first time she saw him all those years ago.  Now that it was here, she didn't know what to say.  She didn't want to seem too eager, but wanted him to know…

            "Lieutenant?  You ok?"  Commander Tucker asked with a funny look on his face.  "If you don't want any company I can find somewhere else to sit."

            "No, no, it's ok.  Have a seat, Commander.  I guess I was into my book more than I thought I was."  She hoped he wouldn't notice the color creeping up her cheeks.

            "Must be a real page turner, Lieutenant…"

            "Watson.  Jennifer Watson."  He didn't even know her name.  That definitely wasn't part of her daydream.

            "Jennifer.  That's a real pretty name."  He flashed her that smile that made her whole body melt.  "How's the book?"

            "Wonderful.  It's '_The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle'_.  It's been my favorite book since I was a little girl," Jennifer answered, wondering why she couldn't be reading something more intellectually stimulating than an old children's story.

            "Doctor Dolittle.  Wasn't he the guy that could talk to animals?"  He remembered seeing an old movie about someone named Doctor Dolittle, and hoped it was the same guy.

            "That's him.  When I was younger it fascinated me that he could talk to animals.  I always wondered what that'd be like.  Since I figured that that could never happen, I decided to learn all I could about them.  So I became a zoologist."

            _Nice one, Jen_, she thought to herself.  _A gorgeous guy sits down for a snack, probably to be nice, and you just can't keep your mouth shut._  She took a bite of her ice cream, hoping a full mouth would keep her quiet.

            "Wow.  That's a pretty neat story."  He took the last bite of his pie, not sure what to say next.  He had seen Lieutenant Watson around the ship, but had never really talked to her before.  But there was something familiar about her, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.  He wanted to ask if they had met before, but didn't get his chance.

            "Archer to Commander Tucker.  Report to the bridge."

            "Guess I gotta get goin' now.  Maybe I'll see ya around sometime."

            "That'd be nice.  Thanks for the company, Commander."

            "It's Trip."

            _Trip?_  Jennifer smiled as she watched Commander Tucker leave the mess hall.  _Maybe it's not so bad reading a children's book in mixed company after all!_

            _It's Trip?  What the hell was I thinking?_  Trip walked towards the bridge, silently cursing to himself as he thought about the conversation that just took place.  He barely knew her, and already wanted to be on a first-name basis with her.  _I've gotta ask her if we've met before.  Why else would she seem so familiar?_

"Who seems familiar?"

            Trip looked over and saw Lieutenant Malcolm Reed standing next to him, grinning at him.

            "Where'd you come from?!?"  Trip realized he'd been talking out loud, and wondered how much Malcolm had heard.

            "The armory.  Captain Archer called me to the bridge, where I'm guessing you're heading as well.  Who seems familiar?"  Malcolm wasn't going to let Trip off the hook so easily with this one.

            "No one.  Just thinking out loud."  _Damn, what all did I actually say?_

"Trip, we're off duty.  We can talk like friends now."  Malcolm enjoyed the uncomfortable position his friend was in.  Trip often used the same line on Malcolm, pushing him to open up.  Now that the roles were reversed, maybe he would realize it wasn't very fun to be interrogated about personal matters.  "After all, we are friends, aren't we?"

            "Yeah we're friends, but we've been called to the bridge.  We're back on duty, '_Lieutenant_,' so drop it!"  Trip was starting to get very irritated with Malcolm.  

            "Fine, '_Commander_.'  Do me a favor.  Remember this moment when you decide to press me for information!"  With that, Malcolm walked ahead of Trip, arriving on the bridge a few minutes ahead of him.

            _Me an' my big mouth._  Trip sighed.  _It's really gonna get me in trouble one of these days._

            Captain Jonathan Archer wished his chief engineer would hurry up.  This was a big decision to make, and he wanted the advice of his senior staff.  Lieutenant Reed said he had passed Commander Tucker five minutes ago, but wouldn't say anything more about it.  Just as he was about to call him again, Tucker walked onto the bridge.

            "Nice of you to join us, Trip."  Archer was beyond worrying if he hurt his friend's feelings.

            "Sorry, Cap'n.  I was in the middle of something, and it took a little longer to wrap it up than I expected."  Trip hoped Malcolm would keep his mouth shut about their little chat in the hallway.  "What's goin' on?"

            "We've received a message from the Andorians inviting us to visit their planet.  It appears that not all of them are convinced we are good friends with the Vulcans.  Due to our previous encounters with them, I wanted to see what you guys thought before heading there."

            "Our weapons systems are working perfectly."  Malcolm spoke up before anyone else could.  He was proud of his armory and the way he ran it.

            "That's good to know.  But not exactly what I meant."  Archer wished his armory officer would loosen up a little.  He knew Malcolm wanted to keep the ship safe, but having a little faith in people for once would be a nice change.  "Do you think it would be a good idea to visit them?"

            "Captain, you have already met the Andorians.  Anything you wish to know about them or Andoria can be accessed in the Vulcan database."  Sub-Commander T'Pol was in no hurry to deal with the Andorians.

            "In this case maybe visiting them is better."  Ensign Travis Mayweather had been quiet, listening to the others.  He wasn't too excited about seeing the Andorians, but he really wanted to get off of the ship.

            "I could add to the Universal Translator.  The more accurate it is the better."  Ensign Hoshi Sato also wanted to get off of the ship for a bit.  She was feeling a little better about space travel, but now and then loved to feel solid ground beneath her feet.

            "Our mission is to meet new people.  We already know the Andorians."  T'Pol couldn't hold back the dislike for them that had been part of her for so long.

            "T'Pol, I know you aren't comfortable with this.  You can stay on the ship while we're visiting if you want.  I think it'd be to our advantage to go.  We don't want to make enemies while we are out here."  Archer hoped nothing would go wrong on this trip.  At first he wasn't sure if they should accept the Andorians' invitation to visit their planet, but his crew seemed willing to take the chance.  "They also have some unique plant and animal life.  May as well give our science department time to use their skills."

            "You gonna tell the crew we're headed to Andoria?"  Trip hadn't been paying too much attention to the conversation, his mind still on Lieutenant Watson.  Hearing about animals caught his attention.  _She'd love to see some new animals.  I'd love t' tell her about it.  Gives me a reason t' talk t' her._

            "Of course.  Why do you ask?"

            "In case someone asks if I know where we're headed."  _So I have to talk to her._

            "I'll pass the news along tomorrow.  Right now I'll let you guys head back to whatever you were doing before I called you here."  He knew there was something else on Trip's mind, some reason he wanted to tell people.  But he was still a little upset on his friend's casualness about coming to the bridge, and decided not to question him at that particular moment.  "Go enjoy your evening."


	2. Chapter 2

            Jennifer settled down with her journal, recording the day's events.  It had been a good day, fairly non-eventful.  The most exciting thing had been her conversation with Commander Tucker.  _Trip.  Why did I freeze up?  Why couldn't I think of the right thing to say? _She'd had the perfect conversation many times in her head, but lost it all when it finally happened.  _Why, why, why…_

_            "Jennifer, you're the most beautiful woman I've ever know."  Trip whispered in her ear, pulling her closer to him.  His strong arms held her tightly, never wanting to let go.  "I knew from the first time I saw you that we were meant t' be t'gether.  I wish I'dve said something sooner."_

_            "Me too."  Jennifer snuggled closer to him, feeling safer in his arms than she had ever felt before._

_            Trip kissed her, scooping her up in his arms as he did.  He carried her to the bed, gently falling on her.  The kiss intensified, her soft moaning a melodious sound in his ears.  Her skin was softer than any he'd felt before.  He started unbuttoning her shirt, his kisses following the contour of her face._

_            "Are ya sure you want t' do this?"_

_            Her answer was in her kiss, pulling his mouth back to hers.  As their bodies melted into each other, she couldn't imagine anything more perfect…_

The sound of the door chimes woke Jennifer up with a start.  Her heart was pounding from the dream she'd just had.  The chimes rang again.  She pulled herself together and went to answer the door.

            "Commander Tucker?"  She couldn't believe her eyes.  To have that dream, then find him at her door.  _I must still be dreaming._

            "Lieutenant?  Oh gosh, sorry.  Were you sleeping?  I should've waited 'till t'morrow t' tell ya."  Trip tried very hard to keep his composure.  If he had problems getting her out of his mind before, it'd be impossible now.  There she stood, in pale violet silk pajamas, her dark brown hair spilling over her shoulders.  _Don't say anything stupid.  Ya don't wanna make a fool out of yourself.  _"I'll get goin' now.  G'night."

            "It's ok.  I haven't gone to bed yet, just got ready early.  Come in."  _This is really happening!  I can't believe it!_  "Have a seat."

            Jennifer sat on the edge of her bed, Trip sitting across from her at her desk.  "You wanted to tell me something?"

            _You're beautiful.  Have we met before tonight?_  "The Cap'n told me we're headed t' Andoria.  Seems the Andorians invited us, wanna get t' know us a little better."  _Damn, what's wrong with me?  I'm babblin' like a two year old!_

            "Andorians.  They're the blue ones, right?"  _Blue?  I'm such an idiot!_

            "That's them.  I heard they've got some interesting animals there.  Guess it'll give ya somethin' t' study."  Trip's heart skipped a beat when he saw her smile.  _This visit was definitely worth it._

"New animals!  It's why I joined Starfleet!  I know I could've stayed back on Earth, learning more about familiar animals, but to see new ones with my own eyes, things people could only imagine.  That's the exciting part of my job!"  Zoology was her passion.  No matter how flustered she may get trying to keep small talk going, her thoughts became perfectly clear when talking about animals.  She closed her eyes, imagining new kinds of animals, her whole body glowing with excitement.

            Trip forced himself to look away.  Glancing around her quarters, he noticed a picture on her desk.  Picking it up for a closer look, he realized where he knew her from.

            "You're a singer too, aren'tcha?"

            _He remembers._  "I used to be…"  She opened her eyes to find him holding a picture from her past.  "…a long time ago."

            "You sang a couple times at a jazz club.  'Bout ten years ago, right?"  It was all coming back now.

            "Yes."  Jennifer felt her eyes stinging at the memories, hoping the tears wouldn't fall until after he left.

            "I gotta admit I'm not really into jazz.  Only went because some friends dragged me there.  Then I heard ya sing.  You were so beautiful."  _Still are._  "That's why I kept goin' back.  Then you stopped comin'.  I heard your voice in dreams for years after that.  Why'd you quit?"

            "I was going through a rough time at school.  Singing helped me through it.  My boyfriend was the one that encouraged me to sing.  The last night I sang was our anniversary.  He was supposed to meet me at the club so we could go out after, but he never showed up.  I found a letter from him when I got home.  An old girlfriend had called him up, wanting to get back together, and he decided he loved her more than me."  She felt a single tear fall down her cheek.  "It hurt so much that I couldn't sing because it reminded me of him.  That's why I didn't come back."  _Why did I tell him all of this?  Why am I setting myself up to be hurt again by someone I hardly know?_

Trip saw the hurt in her eyes, and as a tear slid down her cheek he wished he hadn't asked.  _I'm such an idiot!  Do somethin'!  You've gotta do somethin' after makin' her cry!_  He got up and went to her side, carefully wiping away the tear.

            "I'm sorry.  I shouldn'tve asked.  Sometimes I say things without thinkin' first."

            "It's ok.  It was a perfectly innocent question.  I'm the one that should be sorry, getting all emotional like that.  Maybe you should leave, before I do anything else to embarrass myself."  _Don't leave.  Please.  Not yet._

"Yeah, maybe I should."  _I don't want to go.  Not yet._

Jennifer stood up, Trip following her lead.  They walked to the door in silence, both deep in thought.  As they reached the door, she looked up at him, a sad smile on her face.

"Thanks for telling me about our upcoming mission.  I'm flattered you thought to come and inform me."  She wished she knew what he was thinking, not sure what she saw in his eyes.

"You're welcome, Lieutenant."  _Jennifer._

"It's Jennifer."  _Trip._

"G'night Jennifer."  He stepped out the door, hearing it close behind him.  He had fought the urge to take her in his arms and kiss her.  Every part of him wanted to kiss her, but a small voice told him no.  _A perfect gentlemen wouldn't kiss a girl when they had  just met a few hours ago.  Besides, ya just dragged up bad memories for her, you insensitive jerk.  _He didn't get very far down the corridor before he turned back, his emotions winning out over rational thought.  _Ta hell with bein' a perfect gentlemen.  Look where it's gotten me before!_   He rang the door chime, confident about what he was going to do.

"Trip?  I thought you were–"  Jennifer didn't get any farther than that before he grabbed her and kissed her.  She fell into his arms, kissing him back with such intensity it made her head spin.  When they finally pulled apart, he looked down at her with a goofy grin on his face.

"Jennifer, would'ya join me for dinner tomorrow?"  His heartbeat was so loud he was surprised she didn't hear it.

"I'd love to."  She was lost in his eyes, just barely getting the three words out.

"Great!  Ok, I'm really goin' now.  G'night!"  _Wow!_

"Sweet dreams!"  _Wow!_


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry this chapter is shorter than the others.  It's a bigger scene than most, so hopefully that'll make you guys forgive me!  Should have chapter 4 up by Friday.

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Trip walked into the captain's private mess chamber.  He was relieved to see that T'Pol wouldn't be joining them for breakfast.  _Wonder why John wanted me to join him this mornin'.  I was kinda hopin' t' see Jennifer this mornin', but I can't really say no to the captain, can I?_

"Morning, Trip."  Archer was glad his friend had accepted his invitation to breakfast.  He wanted to apologize for his curtness the night before.  He was also curious about Trip's behavior on the bridge.  Trip had seemed in a daze, not attentive to the conversation taking place as he normally was.

            "Mornin'."  _I hope this isn't too long.  _"What's the occasion?"

            "Just thought we could talk."  Archer sometimes wished he wasn't his friend's superior.  So far it hadn't caused any major problems in their friendship, but he feared someday it may.  "And I wanted to apologize for my attitude last night."  He hoped this would get Trip to talk about whatever was on his mind.

            "What attitude?"  _Was I really that spaced last night?  I have no idea what he's talkin' about!_

"When you finally got to the bridge last night, I was pretty sarcastic towards you."  This worried him, that his friend was obviously preoccupied with something and didn't notice his sarcasm.

            "Oh.  Didn't even notice."  _Ok, gotta stop thinkin' about her.  Gotta pay attention!_

"Trip, are you ok?  It's like you've been somewhere else since last night."

            "Sorry, had somethin' on my mind lately."  _Someone._

"Do you want to talk about it?"

            "Depends.  Are you askin' as captain or as a friend?"  Trip's defenses automatically went up at this.  He knew his friend was worried about him, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to talk about it right then.

            "Both.  As captain because we've got an important mission coming up.  As friend because it isn't like you to be so out of it like you've been."  He knew this must be uncomfortable for his friend, but the captain in him knew this needed to be taken care of.  They had the chance to make a good impression on the Andorians, and didn't want anything to mess that up.

            Trip looked at Archer, seeing the concern in his eyes.  _What the hell.  People'll start talkin' after they see us tonight.  Might as well 'fess up.  _"I've been thinkin' about our mission and everything that's happened so far.  We've had some interestin' things happen."  _So much for honesty._

"Yes we have.  Any particular instance on your mind?"  Archer had a feeling his friend wasn't telling the whole truth, but didn't want to press the matter too much at the moment.

            "Not really any particular one.  Just interestin' in general."  _Hope it's not too obvious I'm lyin' through my teeth._

_            "I see."  As the steward on duty brought in their breakfast, the captain decided it a good time to change the subject to their upcoming mission.  "Considering our past experiences with the Andorians, what do you think about our visiting them?"_

            The rest of their meal was spent talking about their past dealings with the Andorians and speculating about their upcoming visit with them, Trip trying his hardest to pay attention to the conversation.  When they had both finished, Captain Archer looked at his friend, hoping that whatever thought had been consuming his friend's mind was a thing of the past.

            "Well, guess it's time t' get t' work.  Still got a day before we get t' Andoria, need to make sure everything's runnin' right.  Thanks for breakfast."  Trip hoped to catch Jennifer before she reported for duty, an idea forming about their date.  _Gotta keep this a secret for now.  Trip got up and headed to the door._

            "You're welcome.  See you at dinner, right?"  Archer stood up, following his friend.

            "Yeah."  Trip left and headed to engineering.  _Or maybe not.  I've got a feelin' somethin' else's gonna come up!_


	4. Chapter 4

            After Captain Archer had informed the crew about their upcoming visit to Andoria, Sub-Commander T'Pol called all science personnel to meet with her.  Even though she refused to go down to the planet, it was her duty as head science officer to arrange the research away teams.

Jennifer had come straight to the meeting after breakfast, still in disbelief about her memories of the previous night.  _He didn't really ask me to dinner.  There's no way he did.  I just imagined his invitation.  His kiss.  She smiled, thinking about it.  __Real or dream, what a kiss!  _

"Lieutenant, are you listening?"  T'Pol looked at her, unimpressed with the actions of this particular female.

"I'm sorry, Sub-Commander.  This padd doesn't seem to be working right.  I was trying to figure out what's wrong with it, and only caught the end of what you said."  Jennifer hoped her excuse was believable.

"Many people are experiencing problems with their padds.  Commander Tucker will have them worked on if someone takes them down to him in engineering.  I asked if you would take them down."  Her condescending attitude showed up in her look, also seeping into her tone of voice.  "It may prove to be helpful in the future to listen when talked to."

"I thought I could figure out what was wrong with my padd on my own.  But you're right.  I should pay more attention.  After all, I'm a zoologist, not an engineer.  Why would I be able to fix it?"  Jennifer knew her tone was dripping with sarcasm, but didn't care about the possible repercussions of her attitude.  _I hope the ice queen chokes on her cynicism one of these days.  If she wants to play this game, to be a bitch, I'll be one right back._

"Lieutenant Watson, here are the padds to be worked on.  Take them to engineering.  Think about your attitude.  It will determine whether or not you will be visiting the surface when we reach Andoria."  T'Pol handed Jennifer the stack of padds, showing no sign of emotion other than a slightly raised eyebrow.

"Yes, ma'am."  Jennifer took the stack and headed off to engineering.  _Shit.  I got the damn eyebrow.  I really blew it this time._


	5. Chapter 5

            "Can I help you?"

            "Yes, Ensign.  I need to speak with Commander Tucker.  Can you tell me where he is?"  She had never really been in engineering for any significant amount of time.  The awesomeness of the warp engine was overwhelming.  _Wow!  That's what powers this ship?_

            "He's right up there."  The ensign pointed to a platform by the engine.  "He's in the middle of something right now.  May be a few minutes before he can get to you.  Is it something I can help you with?"

            "I can wait."  _Stop staring!  "Will I be in the way here, or is there somewhere else I should wait?"  __Hopefully somewhere I can watch without being totally obvious._

            "Let me check."  He took a few steps towards the engine.  "Commander, there's a Lieutenant…what was your name again?"

            "Watson."

            "There's a Lieutenant Watson here to see you.  Where should she wait?"

            Trip turned to see Jennifer standing a few feet below him.  _Whoa.  Is she psychic?  If all I've got t' do is think about her and she'll come…  "Take her over t' my desk.  I'll be there in a few minutes."___

            The man escorted her to Trip's desk.  "Need anything while you wait?"

            "You've been very helpful already.  I don't want to keep you from your work any longer than I already have.  Thank you."  As the ensign returned to his work, Jennifer wondered if this was the right thing to do.  _Maybe I should've left the padds with him and left.  Maybe I should've told the Sub-Commander I'd rather not come down here.  There had been no sign from Trip that the previous evening's conversation had taken place.  __That's it.  I dreamt it all.  Trip didn't ask me to dinner.  She sighed quietly.  __We're on duty.  I'm here for work.  It's Commander Tucker.  _

            "Only while on duty."  Trip immediately wished he hadn't said anything.  Just last night he'd had the same look on his face when Malcolm caught him thinking out loud as Jennifer had now.  Her cheeks turned pink as she got up to face him.  _God she's beautiful._

_            "Commander!  Umm, here are the padds that are malfunctioning. Sub-Commander T'Pol asked me to bring them down.  If you let her know when they're finished she can send someone to get them."  __This is not happening!  It's got to be part of some horrible nightmare I'm having!_

_            "Thank you, Lieutenant."  Lowering his voice, he grinned.  "Jennifer.  Calm down.  All you said was my name.  Nobody else heard."  Seeing her relax the tiniest bit gave him courage to continue.  "Now, about tonight…"_

            _Tonight?  I didn't dream it?_

_            "It's probably best if we don't let anyone else know right now.  I'll fake somethin' t' get outta dinner with the Captain.  If you can meet me at my quarters around seven, I'll have dinner waitin' and we can go from there."  __How far we'll go is up to you…_

_Go from there…  A slight smile danced across her face.  "Lying to the Captain?  A secret rendezvous with a subordinate?  Why, I do believe I've seen another side to our dear chief engineer!"  __And what a side to see!_

The grin grew.  "Well, Lieutenant, there are advantages to being a senior officer."

            "I look forward to hearing more about these advantages.  But I better get back now before they declare me missing in action.  See you at your place?"

            "At seven." Trip watched her leave, glancing to see if any crew members had overheard the conversation.  When he was convinced no one had, he headed back to work.  _It's gonna be a long eight hours!_


	6. Chapter 6

The mood was set.  Soft lighting.  Romantic music.  A single rose he'd manage to sneak out of hydroponics sat in the middle of the table.  He'd gotten fettuccini Alfredo with chicken for dinner.  It had been the fanciest choice for dinner with the lowest garlic content.  _Kissin's fine after eatin', but not with garlic breath!_

            As he finished buttoning his shirt, doubts about the night began to bombard his thoughts.  _What if she doesn't show up?  Maybe she was dazed last night after I kissed her and didn't really mean t' say yes.  Maybe that's why she came t' engineerin' this afternoon, t' cancel.  And if she does come, will she like dinner?  What if she's a vegetarian?  The sound of his door chimes snapped him out of his thoughts.  Taking one last look in the mirror, he headed to the door.  __Well, here goes…_

            Her thoughts had been dominated all day with her upcoming dinner date.  After convincing herself that it wasn't a dream, she worried about what to wear, how to do her hair, what to do once there.  _'I'll have dinner waitin' and we can go from there.'  Go from there…  That could mean so many things.  After a final glance at her reflection, she knew she was ready.  __Ok, this is just a first date.  The date you've dreamed about for years.  Don't blow it!  And forget about your last relationship.  He's not Will._

            "Lieutenant Watson!  Good evening!"  Malcolm's voice brought her out of her reverie.

            "Good evening to you, Lieutenant Reed."  _Please don't ask why I'm dressed up._

            "Special plans tonight?"  He tried hard not to stare, but couldn't help himself.  The way her dress was fitted perfectly to her curves, flowing from the waist down.  

            "Not really.  Just going to meet some friends, have a little girl talk time."  _Note to self, find someone to cover for me if needed._

            "Aren't you a little overdressed for girl talk?"

            "After being in uniform all day, I like to occasionally dress a little more feminine.  Is there something wrong with that?"  She stopped as they had reached Trip's quarters, hoping he would continue on.

            "Of course not.  Have an enjoyable evening."  With that he walked off, giving up on ever solving the mystery of women.

            Taking a deep breath, she made sure no one was coming.  Smoothing out her dress one last time, she pressed the button by the door.  _Here we go…_


	7. Chapter 7

Sorry it's taken so long to get this written.  Hope you enjoy it!

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            The door opened, revealing them to each other.  Trip took her hand and led her into the room, unable to say anything.  He had thought she was beautiful in uniform, even more so the night before in her pajamas.  Neither sight compared to her tonight.  She'd chosen a simple black dress for the occasion.  It had a boatneck neckline and hugged her body to the waist, flowing to just above her knee, where a small ruffle trimmed the dress, the same sheer material as the long asymmetrically cut sleeves.

"Wow.  Every time I think that you can't get more beautiful, you go and prove me wrong."  _It's a good thing humans aren't telepathic.  The things I'm thinkin' now aren't very gentlemanly!_

"Thanks.  You're looking rather handsome tonight yourself."  _That's the understatement of the year!  She had a thing for guys in khakis, but when they paired it with the perfect shirt, there was no hope of her not falling for them.  It wasn't the type of shirt, a plain dress shirt, that made her melt, but the color.  It was the exact shade of his eyes, somehow making them seem brighter than normal.  Realizing they had been standing in silence, hand in hand, staring into each other's eyes for a few minutes, she finally spoke.  "We should probably eat now."_

"Probably."

The conversation over dinner was light, getting to know each other a little more.  Neither ate much, their appetites for food being replaced by growing desires for the other.  After eating dessert, the room once again fell silent, both contemplating what may happen next.  Finally, Trip made the first move.

"Would ya like t' dance?"  He moved around to where she sat, offering his hand.

Jennifer had somehow tuned out the music until now, when it seemed to hypnotize her.  She took his hand, letting him pull her close.

            The two moved as if on clouds, entranced by the music.  The light floral scent of her perfume filled Trip's nose, causing him to want her more than he already did.  He lightly brushed her face with his hand, her soft sigh encouraging him to continue.  Leaning down he kissed her, softly at first, them more passionately as she responded.  They drank each other in, the kiss sweeter than the pie they had eaten for dessert.  Hands traveled up and down bodies, familiarizing themselves with the terrain.

            Trip led them to the bed, gently falling on her as he had in her dream.  Their kissing continued while their hands yearned to touch skin.  His hand caressed her thigh, slowly going farther up her leg, while she untucked his shirt, feeling his strong muscular back.  Hands and lips moved all around.  Clothing was discarded as their passions grew, finally giving in to them.

            Their bodies moved together as one instrument, sounding with the music still playing.  Crescendoing and decrescendoing with the woodwinds, speeding up and slowing down with the strings.  They continued once the music ended, writing their own symphony into the wee hours of the morning.

            Jennifer laid in Trip's arms, trying hard to concentrate on the perfect evening she had just enjoyed and not the small part in the back of her mind reminding her how their actions could cause serious problems for both if discovered.  _Do they really expect us to ignore feelings we develop for each other?  Some of us can separate our personal lives from our professional ones.  Who does Starfleet think they are to tell us who we can and can't fall in love with?  _She felt Trip move, fearing she had been talking out loud again.  When he settled down, she fell back into her thoughts.  _Did I say love?  I don't love Trip.  At least, I don't think I do.  I'm not sure what I feel about him.  Maybe that's what Starfleet wanted to prevent when they made their decisions about relations between officers._

            "Whatcha thinkin' about?"  Trip had woken up, glad to see Jennifer lying in his arms.  _Thought I'd dreamt it all._

            "About how right now couldn't get any better."  She turned to look at him, softly kissing him while making her statement.  _It's not a total lie.  I just don't want to ruin right now with serious conversation._

            Smiling, he kissed her back.  "I can think of one thing that'd make t'night perfect."

            "What's that?"

            "If you'd sing."  He started humming the song he'd heard her sing so many years ago, wanting to hear her voice with his ears and not in his head.

            "I can't."  _Not that song.  Never again._

            "Why not?"

            "I just can't."  _I don't want to go, but I have to.  Before I lose it._  "What time is it?  I have to get out of here before too many people are out and see me leave here."

            "It's three in the mornin'.  I think you can stay at least another hour without worryin' about runnin' into anyone."  _She's leavin' because I asked her t' sing?_

            "I better go now.  We both need some sleep before our shifts start, and neither of us will get any if I stay."  

She started to get out of bed when he grabbed her hand.  "Are you leavin' because I asked you to sing?"

"No."  _Not entirely._  "I don't think I want to explain to the dear Sub-Commander why I'm falling asleep in the middle of one of her briefings today, so I need to get a little sleep."

"Good point."  _Not sure you're tellin' the whole truth, but I'm not gonna push it.  Don't wanna lose you._  He watched her get dressed, hoping she wanted this relationship to continue as much as he did, hoping it wasn't a one nighter.  "See you at breakfast?  When we can discuss the possibility of tonight?"

"Sounds good."  She turned to go, then faced him, one question popping in her head.  "How'd you get out of dinner with the Captain?"

Grinning from ear to ear, he walked over to her.  "Had t' catch up on my sleep!"

"Then I better go so you aren't a complete liar!"  Kissing each other one last time, she left.  As she walked to her quarters, she fought back the urge to cry that had hit her when he had hummed that song.  Determined to forget the past, she concentrated about the past two days.  She smiled to herself, lost in thought, never noticing the lieutenant who'd seen her leave Trip's quarters. 


	8. Chapter 8

"Have you ever wondered what women talk about when they're together?"

"What?"  Trip looked up from his food to see Malcolm taking a seat at the table.  _Great.  What's he want?_

"Women.  They have times of 'girl talk'.  Do you ever wonder what they talk about?"  Malcolm quickly scanned the room for Jennifer, but didn't see her.

"No clue.  Not sure I want to know either."  _Now go away!_

            "Not even if they talked about you?"     

            "Nope."

            "Well I would love to know what they talk about."  At that time he spotted Jennifer looking for a place to sit.  "Here may be my chance to find out.  Lieutenant, would you like to join us?"

            Jennifer came and sat down at the small square table, next to Malcolm and across from Trip.  Since Malcolm had called her over, she felt it would be safest to sit by him.  "Good morning, Lieutenant, Commander."  _I should've gotten here earlier.  How am I going to keep from letting anything slip about last night?_

            "If you don't mind my asking, what was it you talked about last night?"  He noticed the brief glance the two shared, but pretended not to.

            "Talked about?"  Jennifer wasn't sure what he was getting at, forgetting their conversation the night before.

            "During your 'girl talk' session.  That was where you were going last night when I saw you, wasn't it?"

            "Oh, that.  Normal girl things."

            "Which are?"

            "Well, about our work, things that have happened recently, who likes who, and the most eligible bachelor on the ship."  _Right after this I've gotta find someone to back me up on this!_

            "Most eligible bachelor?  Who's that?"  Trip was now joining the conversation, interested to hear who she'd say.

            "I'm sorry, but that's classified information."  _I may as well have some fun with this!_

            "Classified?"  Malcolm raised an eyebrow at this, reminding Jennifer of T'Pol.

"Yes, classified."

"And you can't tell us?"  Trip saw the playfulness in her eyes and hoped Malcolm wasn't paying too much attention to her body language.

"If I did, I would have to kill you."  _I hope Malcolm leave soon.  I wish I could bore him to death, or at least until he left._

            Seeing that his inquiry was going nowhere, Malcolm stood up and prepared to leave.  "If either of you care, our shift begins in ten minutes.  Good day Commander, Lieutenant."

            "Later, Malcolm."  _It's about time.  Still got a few minutes we can talk!_

            "Goodbye, Lieutenant."  _A few minutes to make sure this is all really happening.  Then I've gotta go.  I've gotta be on my best behavior today or the dear Sub-Commander won't let me go down to Andoria!_

            Malcolm headed out of the mess hall, mentally noting that his meal mates were now talking in hushed tones.  He pictured the looks he had seen pass between the two, briefly wondering if it had been wise to leave the two alone.  Dismissing the thought, he continued to the armory.  The ship would reach Andoria within the day.  The thought of spending time near the Andorians didn't sit well with him and he planned to have each away team well equipped with the proper safety precautions.  He wished the captain would take his concerns more seriously at times.  Little did anyone know how right his suspicions would be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I feel bad about leaving you hanging like this.  I really do!  More to come very soon!


	9. Chapter 9

            Humming to herself, Jennifer prepared her data for presentation to T'Pol.  After her reprimand the day before, Jennifer knew that she would have to work hard to make her case to the Vulcan if she wanted to be included in this mission.  Her research on the animal life of Andoria was limited, as the Vulcans had not gone into much detail on matters such as this in their database.  _All the more reason to go down to the planet!_

            "Lieutenant, have you finished your research?"  T'Pol looked at her, unable to understand the Human's need to hum while working.

            "Yes, Sub-Commander.  I just finished."  Handing the padd to her, Jennifer hoped it would meet her approval.  _Please like it.  Please let me go down!  It's why I joined Starfleet, why I'm here!_

            "Very well."  T'Pol turned to leave, then turned back to the lieutenant.  "May I ask you a question?"

            "Ok."  _What did I do now?_

            "What was the name of the song you were just humming?"

            "I didn't even realize I was humming.  Could you hum a bit and I'll tell you?"  _Do Vulcans even know how to hum?_

            Her curiosity getting the best of her, T'Pol closed her eyes and started humming the song.  Had her eyes been open, she would have seen the pained look flash across Jennifer's face.  After a few measures she stopped.  "Was that a sufficient amount?"

            _Too much actually.  Why was I humming that song?_  "Nothing special.  Just a song a friend of mine and I wrote years ago."  _Many, many years ago._

            "It was…pleasant to the ear."  This time she did leave, slightly embarrassed by her inquiry.

            _Still getting compliments, Heidi.  _Jennifer sighed._  Too bad it'll never be sung again!_


	10. Chapter 10

"Come in."

            "You wanted to see me, Cap'n?"  Trip quickly formulated his story about the night before, in case that was what Archer wanted to speak to him about.  _Damn, shoulda done this earlier.  It's just so hard to concentrate when Jennifer's around…_

"Have a seat, Trip."  Captain Archer looked at his friend, worried when he saw the same preoccupied look on his face that was slowly becoming the only look he ever had the past few days.  Wondering if he had made the right decision in deciding to use his chief engineer in this mission, he took a sip of his coffee and started talking to Trip.  "Did you get some sleep last night?"

            _Depends on your definition of sleep… _"Some."

            "You've seemed preoccupied lately.  I know I asked if things were ok yesterday and you didn't want to talk about it, but I'm worried about you, so I'm asking again.  I hope you're more open to talking now that you've gotten some sleep."  Talking to his best friend sometimes required more diplomacy than dealing with new aliens.

            _Maybe if I give him something he'll leave me alone.  _"Actually, I've been thinking about our visit to Andoria."  _Not completely a lie…_ "I know I was all for it at first, but now I'm wonderin' if it's safe for a bunch of science officers to go down by themselves.  Especially the lower ranking ones.  What if somethin' happens to them?"  _What if somethin' happened to Jennifer?  I'd kill the blue son of a…_

            "I'm glad you asked.  I was going to ask if you'd be willing to accompany one down to the surface.  At T'Pol's suggestion, I've decided to send a few at a time, each paired with a higher ranking officer for protection.  I think it'd also help the crew become better acquainted."  Jon couldn't help but notice his friend's eyes light up at this.  He hoped some socializing with other members of the crew that weren't on his engineering staff might bring him back to reality.

            "Who'd you have in mind for me to watch?"  _There's probably a snowball's chance in hell I'd be lucky enough to get her, but a man can always hope!_

            "T'Pol's suggested you work with Lieutenant Jennifer Watson.  It seems she has a problem with authority figures.  Normally a person like that wouldn't be considered for a mission like this, but it seems the lieutenant is the best zoologist on board."

            _Damn, there is a god!_  "So I get the troublemaker.  And a smart one at that.  How smart are we talking about?"

            "Finished school in a fourth of the time normal people take.  She started teaching at the university after that, until she showed interest in Starfleet.  As far as her attitude, T'Pol thinks that working with the second-highest Starfleet officer on board might tame her a bit."

            _I'd rather see more of her wild side…_ "Sounds like I've got my work cut out for me then.  I'd better get some extra sleep tonight and read a little more about this lieutenant, so, if ya don't mind, I think I'll be missin' dinner again t'night."  _That was too easy!_

            "Ok.  Glad your mind's been put to ease about this mission."

            I better get back ta work now."  _AfterI__ find Jennifer and give her the good news!_

"Good idea.  I'll see you at tomorrow's briefing."

            Had Archer not looked to the rest of the crew pairings for the misison, he would've noticed the spring in his chief engineer's step that had been missing for quite some time.


End file.
